There are few children in Italy who do not grow up eating Pastina, the classic tiny pasta stars that parents first serve as a child's introduction to the delicious world of pasta Barilla is privately owned by the Barilla family. The fourth generation of the Barilla family is as committed to producing quality and innovative products today as its great-great grandfather was over 130 years ago. Barilla Pasta that is sold in the United States is made in our plant in Ames, Iowa, with a few exceptions.